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NEW YORK — As criticism of sugary sodas intensifies, Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper are rolling out
new vending machines that will put calorie counts right at your fingertips.

The move comes ahead of a regulation that would require restaurant chains and vending machines
to post the information as early as next year, although the specifics for complying with the
requirement are still being worked out.

“They’re seeing the writing on the wall and want to say that it’s corporate responsibility,”
said Mike Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which
advocates for food safety and nutrition.

Still, he noted that it was an important step forward. “Currently, people don’t think about
calories when they go up to a vending machine,” he said. “Having the calories right on the button
will help them make choices.”

The American Beverage Association, which represents Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Dr Pepper
Snapple Group Inc., said the calorie counts will be on the buttons people press to select a drink.
Vending machines will also feature small decals, such as “Calories Count: Check Then Choose.”

The vending machines will launch in Chicago and San Antonio municipal buildings in 2013 before
appearing nationally.

Without providing specifics, the beverage association said the machines will also boost the
availability of lower- and zero-calorie drinks.

“We have market research that says consumers really like this — they like choice, they like the
ability to make choices,” said Susan Neely, president of the industry group.

A mock-up of a new machine provided by Coca-Cola showed 20-ounce bottles of its flagship drink
and Sprite inside vending machines, with labels on the buttons stating “240 calories.”

The soda industry has been under fire for fueling rising obesity rates. Last month, New York
City approved the nation’s first plan to prohibit the sale of sugary drinks over 16 ounces in the
city’s restaurants, movie theaters and stadiums.

Notably, the beverage industry fought aggressively against the ban and hasn’t ruled out taking
legal action to stop it from taking effect this spring.

This November, voters in Richmond, Calif. will also decide whether to approve a penny-per-ounce
tax on sugary drinks.

The decision to post calorie information follows the Supreme Court’s decision this summer to
uphold President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul, which includes a regulation that would
require restaurant chains with more than 20 locations and vending operators with more than 20 m
achines to post calorie information.

McDonald’s Corp. also announced last month that it would begin posting calorie information on
its menus nationwide. Like the soda industry, the fast-food giant said it was a voluntary decision
and not spurred by the pending requirement.

In addition to public health concerns, soft-drink makers are dealing with shifting consumer
habits. Soda consumption per person has been declining in the U.S. since 1998, according to the
Beverage Digest.